Rivalries, betrayals, battles and triumphs define this Game of Thrones take on the lives of African animals. But in the end, it's all about the babies.

For more than a year in a remote part of Africa, a team of filmmakers woke up up with the animals, tracked and filmed them throughout the day, only to return to camp and sleep on top of their vehicles at night. The fruit of their labor? A stunning new three-part miniseries for Nat Geo WILD that is decidedly not your grandma's wildlife special. Welcome to Savage Kingdom.

Emmy-nominated actor Charles Dance from Game of Thrones fame gives voice to Savage Kingdom, a unique look at warring animal clans battling for survival in a part of the continent facing drought after years of rain-rich abundance.

“When we developed the series, we immediately saw the parallels between the battle for power in George R.R. Martin’s fictional world and the vicious fight for survival in the animal kingdom” said Geoff Daniels, executive vice president and general manager of Nat Geo WILD. “We knew that Charles Dance could tell this story the way it needs to be told. His chilling voice captures the essence of this tale of the kings of the savanna fighting for the throne, complete with brutal violence, unexpected deaths, surprising characters and even interfamily romance.”

And while the series may have the trappings of a hit drama, the goal is to inspire a new audience and to increase concern about our wild animals and the threats they are facing. To that end, the following pages highlight the youngest stars of the show – like one of Matsumi's cubs above – because we all know that cute baby animals make the best poster children for issues that need awareness.

The show premieres Friday, November 25, at 9/8c. For more information on Savage Kingdom, visit Nat Geo WILD.